Lord Heseltine: Remain supporters have 'lost' the fight after Boris Johnson election victory
2 min read
Leading Remain supporter Lord Heseltine has dismissed the prospect of campaigners “fighting on” to stay in the EU after Boris Johnson’s election victory.
Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, the former Tory Cabinet minister said the result result was “the will of the people” and admitted that Remain supporters had “lost” their fight.
He said of voters: "They didn't listen because they wanted to get out of the austerity, and they saw Brexit as a route to do that.
"We've lost, we have to face up to that, we're going to leave Europe."
Lord Heseltine - who served as deputy Prime Minister under John Major – lost the Conservative whip earlier this year after admitting he voted for the Lib Dems during the European Parliament elections.
The veteran politician also lent his support to the Lib Dems during the general election campaign, during which he called lifelong Tory voters to back the pro-Remain party.
He has been a vocal supporter of remaining in the EU and the People’s Vote campaign for a second EU referendum.
But the peer said he had now abandoned his crusade to stay in the EU after Boris Johnson won an 80-strong majority on Thursday.
He added: "The reality is Boris Johnson has got a thumping parliamentary majority and there's no way they will not get their legislation through in very short order - so we will leave the EU.
"We've then got a period of uncertainty but, frankly, it's pie in the sky to talk about fighting on in the present circumstances.
"I have no doubt at all my fellow peers in the House of Lords will take the same view, we are not there to defy the will of the people."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
